Roller



Patented Mar. 21, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLLER George W. Hutchinson, Raleigh, N. O.

' Application February 19, 1942, Serial No. 431,591

5 Claims.

This invention relates to rollers of the type used in compacting surfacing materials, as in the construction of roads and the like. Ordinarily these rollers rely solely on weight for compacting effect. It is the purpose of the present invention to enhance the effectiveness of such rollers by equipping them with vibratory means in such manner that rapid vibration is imparted to the bottom portions of the rollers. In the accompanying drawing I have shown the invention in practical embodiment by way of example.

In the drawing:

. Figure 1 is a side elevation of a roller in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a section substantially on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section substantially on line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a partial section substantially on line 44 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is an exploded view in perspective of the axle and vibration transmitting means which appear in assembled relation in the other views.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral I designates a cylindrical metal shell having a circular plate I I set in one end and secured thereto. for example, by welding. The plate is formed with an axial bearing hub I2 and adjacent the latter is provided with openings as at I3. Adjacent its other end the shell is provided with an inner annular flange I4 against which is secured, as by screws I a circular plate I6 like plate I I and having an axial bearing hub I1 and adjacent openings I8. The openings I3 and I8 are pro-- vided for a purpose which will be explained later on. They are spaced inwardly from the shell periphery so that in operating on a soft surface the shell can sink to any likely extent without danger of inflow through the openings.

Reference numeral I9 designates an axle having cylindrical journal portions and 2| in the bearings I2 and I I, the axle being square inwardly of the bearing portions, or otherwise enlarged, so that it is held against axial displacement. Outwardly of the bearing portions the axle has square portions 22 and 23 of reduced section to which are secured operating arms 24 and 25 joined together at their outer ends by a handle bar 26. The arms 24 and 25 are angular and include portions 24' and 25, Figures 1 and 2, which are horizontal when the arms are in normal operating position. The intermediate portion of the axle I9, as here shown, is split or spread to provide a rectangular opening 21, which opening is vertical when axle I9 is in the normal position enforced when the arm portions 24' and 25? are horizontal, and itis' this disposition which will be contemplated in the further description of the axle and its associated parts.

Reference numeral 28 designates a rigid plate recessed along its lower edge to provide equally spaced foot portions 29 to which are welded arouate shoes 30. The plate has at one end parallel upward extensions 3| and 32 freely slidable in vertical openings 33 and 34 in the axle and guided thereby to maintain the plate in radial disposition. Similar extensions 35 and 36 at the other end of the plate are similarly guided in openings 31 and 38. The plate carries horizontal spring seats 39 and 40 at its ends and these plates are perforated to pass the lower bifurcated ends of upwardly threaded rods 4| and 42, the lower ends of the rods straddling the plate below the spring seats and being bolted to the plate as particularly shown in Figure 4. Surrounding rods 4| and 42 are heavy compression springs 43 and 44 whose lower ends bear on seats 39 and MI and whose upper ends bear against washers, as shown. The threaded upper ends of the rods are passed through vertical bores in axle I9 and have nuts 4 I and 42' threaded thereon. By tightening these nuts against the upper face of the axle, plate 28 can be drawn toward'the axle against the action of the springs.

The upp r edge of plate 28 is centrally recessed and rigidly carries a horizontal platform 45 to which is fixed a vibrator unit 46 whose upper portion is received in opening 21 free of contact with the boundary walls of the latter. As here shown, the vibrator unit is of known electrically operated type and is adapted to generate high frequency Vibrations in the vertical direction. Current may be supplied by means of a cable 41 led in through an. axial bore at one end of the axle as shown in Figure 2. Any suitable means may be provided for handling the outside portion of the cable so that it will not interfere with free movement of the roller in use and will allow an adequate operating range.

With the parts shown in Figure 5 in assembled relation and the vibrator unit in place and in connection with the cable 41, the nuts 4| and 42' are tightened to draw plate 28 toward the axle so that its total projection from the axis of the latter is less than the inner radius of the shell. Consequently, with the end plate I 6 removed from the shell, the axle and associated parts can be inserted axially into the shell to position journal 20 in bearing I2. In order to lessen the necessary compression of springs 43 and 44 in this inserting operation, the flange l4 may be interrupted as at M, Figure 3, so as to pass the lower extremity of the assembly. Plate 1 6 is now applied and then the arms 24 and 25 are mounted on the axle ends. The nuts 4| and 42, which are accessible through the openings l3 and I8, are now loosened so that the vibration transmitting member constituted by the plate and shoes is urged against the bottom inner surface of the shell by the springs 43 and 44, as well as by gravity. or course, the action of the springs can be modified, if desired, by adjusting the nuts.

The operator can now manipulate the roller back.

substantially horizontal, the'operator knows that the transmitting member is vertical and that con- I sequently the vibrations will be transmitted to the lowermost portions of the shell where most effective. However, should it be desiredto decrease the intensity of the vibrating efiect on the material being compacted, as where a softer area of the material is encountered, this can be accomplished merely by swinging the arms in one direction or the other about the shell axis so as the transmitting member is moved from the perpendicular, thus shifting the zone of maximum vibration delivery circumferentially of the shell. In all cases the vibration transmitting member is preferably designed, as shown, to transmit vibrations substantially uniformly throughout the axial dimension of the shell and vibrators of th magnetic or other suitable type, delivering along the radius of the transmitting member, are preferably used.

In the illustrated embodiment a relativel small roller is shown and the axle is split in order to accommodate the vibrator. With a larger shell radius the vibrator could, of course, b-eentirely below the shell axis so that a straight solid axle could be used. A hand-roller is shown merely by way of example and itwill be understood that the roller could be a part of a rolling machine or utilized in any other desired manner. While in some cases gravity would sufiice to hold the vibration transmitting member in substantially vertical'disposition, I preferably provide means, such as shown, whereby the said member can be positively maintained in the Vertical. In large machines a plurality of vibrators can, of course, be provided. The shoes 3i) might be in th form of rollers. Other variations than those mentioned can be made without departure from the invention as defined in-the following claims.

I claim:

1. A'roller comprising a cylindrical shell having axial end bearings, a non-rotary axle journaled in said bearings, a member in said shell guided from said axle during travel of the roller with its lower end in contact with the lower inner surface of the shell, spring means interposed between said axle and member and acting to urge the latter against said shell, a threaded portion extending upwardly from said member through an opening in said axle, a nut threaded on said portion whereby said member can be drawn toward said axle against the action of said spring means, and a vibrator unit mounted on said member. I

2. A roller comprising a cylindrical shell having axial and bearings, an axle journaled in said bearings and having end portions outwardly of the latter, operating arms fixed to said end portions respectively, said axle having radial openings therein within said shell, a plate having portions guided in said openings, said plate being disposed beneath said axle when said arms are in normal operating position and having a portion contacting the lower inner surface of the shell, spring means interposed between said axle and plate and acting to urge the latter against said shell, a threaded portion on said plate extending through an opening in said axle, a nut threaded on said portion whereby said member can be drawn toward said axle against the action of said spring means, and a vibrator unit mounted on said plate. a v

3. A vibrating assembly comprising a bar, a plate having portions slidably guided in transverse openings in the bar, spring means inter posed between said plate and said bar and urging said plate away from said bar, abutment means on said portions on the opposite side of the bar from said spring means and serving to limit the movement of said plate away from said bar under the action of said spring means, and a vibrator unit carried by said plate.

4. A vibrating assembly comprising a bar, a plate at one side of said bar and having portions guided by the bar whereby movement of the plate in a fixed plane relative to the bar is permitted, spring means urging the plate away from the bar, nuts threaded on said portions and serving to limit the action of said spring means, and a vi.- brator unit carried by said plate.

5. A roller comprising a cylindrical shell having axial end bearings, an axle journalled in said bearings with its ends projecting outwardly thereof, amember in said shell radially guided by said axle and having a portion in contact with the lower inner surface of said shell, a vibrator unit mounted on said member, and operating arms fixed to said ends respectively and manually swingable to rock the axle end therewith said member whereby the zone of maximum vibration delivery to the shell may be shifted circumferentially of the latter.

GEORGE w. nc'rcmnson; 1 

